MEET THE TEAM

Who We Are

Simon Aalders

Director and Nominated Individual

Simon is married with five grown up children and lives in Ipswich. Returning to Suffolk in 1999, Simon has worked in, and lead community drug and alcohol services, established a community day programme in Ipswich (Crossroads) and a Community Drop centre in Mildenhall. After working in the Home Office and leading the community drug team in the west of Suffolk Simon took over the leadership of the Drug and Alcohol Action Team in 2005. Notable achievements include a leading role in developing and implementing the Prostitution Strategy, winning the 2008 Municipal Journal Top Team award, Home Office Top Team Award 2008, lead the first reorganisation of drug and alcohol treatment services in Suffolk, lead the Reducing the Strength campaign, being a nominated Local Government Chronicle finalist for this work. With over 25 years of experience in substance misuse treatment from areas as diverse as Glasgow, London, Northampton and Ipswich Simon brings a very wide range of skills, knowledge and experience to leadership of the project.

Roger Grosvenor

Non Executive Director

Born in Worcestershire living in the shadow of the Malvern Hills and initially working with CRS (Co-operative Retail Services), a product of the Co-operative College. I moved to East Anglia in the early 80s to the Independent Co-op.During my time with the Co-operative, I have held a number of key senior management positions which has helped me gain a wealth of experi-ence across multi-site locations and significant retail disciplines which include Food, Forecourts, Department Stores, Jewellery, Travel, Pharmacy, Optical, Restaurants, Funeral, Masonry, Floristry, Dairy, Greengrocery, Meat Processing, Security and Distribution.The Co-operative being a multi-channel organisation, I have been exposed to and engaged in the running of the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and one of the largest Co-operative businesses in the UK for which I now hold the position of Joint Chief Executive for a business with circa half a billion turnover. Highly motivated with a strong career record and business progression within Retail and Marketing with specialist knowledge, a key influencer within the retail scene at local and national level. I sit as a Director for the Federal Retail Trading Services Board and I have in recent times been instrumental in initiating and driving the Society’s Local Sourcing credentials which has been acknowledged with national awards and that of pi-oneering the Ipswich Reducing the Strength & Freedom from Fear initiatives and for the former I received a Police Merit Award in May 2014.I am a non Executive Director of two local organisations, The Raedwald Trust (an academy organisation bringing together four exclusion schools) and The Recovery Hub Ipswich (a residential and community business for those recovering from addictions).I consider myself to be a people person and proud to be part of an organisation for 44 years that does things differently and is not solely focused on financial goals.

Andrew Reid

Non Executive Director

Andrew Reid, 57, was brought up in East Suffolk and has lived in the county with his wife Clare and three children since 1990. His background is in financial services and risk management and now owns and runs local businesses supplying and fitting wood burning stoves and conducting building restoration. Andrew has been a county councillor since 2011 and is chairman of the Suffolk County Pension Fund. Andrew has been a keen funder and supporter of community-led initiatives, especially road safety, environmental projects and encouraging local activities for young people.

Sharon Aalders

Non Executive Director

I have recently become Non-Executive Director for The Recovery Hub Ipswich. I hope that my background and skills over the years can be utilised within this role.I have worked in the Care sector providing services for children and families for the last 20 years, currently my role is Head of Residential Child Care Services. I am a qualified Social Worker and have worked in many disciplines to include; child protection, children and families in need, in-tensive support services to children and families, fostering, adoption.I am a wife and mother to 5 children who are all now grown up, this therefore gives me more time to devote to others in my spare time.I have been involved in development of the Recovery Hub Ipswich since its inception. I have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the transfor-mation of the accommodation and I am now looking forward to how I can support the company in other ways as it moves forward.I am also secretary for a charity YBM , (Young Business Minds) in Ipswich, supporting and helping a group of young people to engage positively in the community whilst developing business ideas and opportunities.

Daniel Farnham

Dip RSA Leadership and Management Health and Social Care

Registered Manager

Daniel is married with four children and enjoys life in the Suffolk Countryside. Daniel spent 16 years as a leisure professional, holding a number of directorship posts. Whilst consulting for Watford Borough Council he became involved with a Recovery Project. In 2008 Daniel was instrumental in the start-up of a new residential treatment facility in Suffolk later becoming its Registered Manager and Chief Executive. In 2013 the NHS/NTA awarded Daniel with ‘Outstanding Contribution to Recovery’. He attended his first mutual aid meeting in 2005.

Sammy Manzaroli

Team Manager

Biography to follow.

Angela Pope

RN DipHe, BSc Hons Nursing Practice, BSc Hons Nurse Practitioner

Clinical

Angela has been nursing since 1989 and qualified in 1994. She has 2 degrees the last being the Nurse Practitioner BScHons. She has been working in general Practice for almost 15 years and alongside this, began work within a drug and alcohol recovery service, providing assess-ments, reviews and detoxification regimens to those suffering with addictions. In her spare time Angela is busy looking after her family and her horses.

Bonnie Moyo

RNI NMP Nurse Practitioner

Clinical

Biography to follow.

Andy Dollery

Biography to follow.

Bal Kaur Howard

Bal has been advocating on the issues of BME women and men on domestic violence, honour based crimes (Forced Marriage & Female Genital Mutilation) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) since 2008. Bal has developed and delivers training for front-line practitioners in Health, Social Care, Police, Education and the voluntary sector throughout the England and Wales in the subjects of Domestic Abuse, Risk Assessment, Honour Based Abuse, Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, Radicalisation / Extremism, Modern Day Slavery and Addiction.Bal is trained to deliver “My Dangerous Loverboy” – an excellent tool she uses with students (year 9 upwards) and professionals to talk about “healthy relationships” as part of the PHSE sessions in schools. Bal was employed by Suffolk Constabulary for 7½ years as a Project & Performance Officer for Honour Based Violence (Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation) in a countywide Domestic Abuse Unit. She was responsible for developing policies, procedures and training for police officers and partner agencies to enhance the service to victims and potential victims. For 3 years she was based within the CSE / Child Investigation Abuse Unit. She has 12 years of sales experience in various industry sectors, such as telecommunications, information technology, software, recruitment, commercial property and utilities. She also has, 10 years of experience in the Export/Import industry. Bal was born in India and was brought to Britain aged one. She was forced into marriage at the age of 17 in Darlington and forced to sponsor her husband for permanent residency in the UK. Bal went back to education at the age of 26 after escaping from her forced marriage and subsequently has been disowned by her family for over 20 years. She now has two Diplomas – one in Export Management and one in Business & Finance. Bal is keen to share her experiences, being the voice of the victims and survivors who experience crimes rooted in the name of honour, giving practical and emotional support. She raises awareness with agencies to reduce the isolation of victims and to increase reporting. In Bal’s words “I refuse to take my past into the future and regard myself to be an empowered survivor- my darkest past is now my greatest asset”. Bal was a volunteer with Karma Nirvana from December 2007 to December 2008 after reading Jasvinder Sanghera’s book “Shame”. Her experience is also featured in Jasvinder’s 2nd book “Daughters of Shame”. Bal has been nominated twice at the IKWRO True Honour Awards (2012 & 2014) and she completed her Award in Education and Training Level 3 (formerly PTLLS) in 2014.

Christopher Dines

Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner

Christopher Dines is in recovery and cleaned up aged twenty-one (summer 2004) after his drug-taking and party lifestyle spiralled out of control, which led to full-blown alcohol and cocaine addiction. He is a London-born British mindfulness teacher, trainer, writer, and former house DJ/producer. He has published six books and blogs for The Huff Post UK. Christopher has led mindfulness meditation workshops for Public Health England (PHE Cambridge), Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families 32nd Annual Retreat in Arizona (Mingus Mountain, USA), Home Group UK (social enterprise housing association), The Recovery Evolution Festival (Suffolk, UK), The Recovery Hub Drug & Alcohol Rehab (Ipswich, UK), East Coast Recovery Drug and Alcohol Rehab (Suffolk, UK), Rekindling Drug and Alcohol Rehab (Luton, UK), EMI Wealth London (Canary Wharf), and runs private Mindfulness Burnout Prevention (MBP) courses for professionals at Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden and Chelsea, London. Christopher has facilitated weekly mindfulness classes in Hampstead and Bond Street, London, and led retreats at Cley-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk. Dines has led dialogues/Q&As with medical students from the University of East Anglia (UEA) with regard to alcohol addiction, process addiction and mindfulness. Christopher is the author of Mindfulness Meditation: Bringing Mindfulness into Everyday Life, Manifest Your Bliss: A Spiritual Guide to Inner Peace, A Ticket to Prosperity: Spiritual Lessons for an Abundant Life (Revised Edition), The Mystery of Belief: How to Manifest Your Dreams, and Mindfulness Burnout Prevention: An 8-Week Course for Professionals. Dines has co-authored The Kindness Habit: Transforming our Relationship to Addictive Behaviours, with medical doctor and wellness pioneer, Dr Barbara Mariposa. Three times #1 New York Times bestseller, the late John Bradshaw, has written the foreword.Christopher has been working at The Recovery Hub since May 2016, and now trains and works in-house for The Recovery Hub.

Nancy Merfeld

Therapist

I have been living and working in the UK since 2001. I am currently the Wellbeing Clinical Manager at a young people’s project, and also have extensive experience working in the substance misuse I work with individuals and groups, in and out of treatment settings. I have also worked with clients who have presented with a variety of other conditions such as, depression, anxiety, relationship matters, eating disorders, sexual dysfunctions past traumatic events and a host of other concerns.I hold a MA in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland, College Park Maryland. I use an integrated approach to counselling to ensure that the interventions used are appropriate to the client. I am a member of the American Counseling Association and the National Counselling Society, and the BACP all of which have a Code of Ethics, which I adhere too.

Helen Wright

Therapist

Biography to follow.

Ellen Friend

Therapist

Having always been interested in humans, what makes us who we are, and the unique relationships we form with one another, I began my early academic career with a BA (Hons) in Psychology. Two years in, my attention was grabbed by Counselling and I decided to switch courses and Universities and began my FdA in Integrative Counselling, which saw me qualify in February 2017.Along the way, I picked up voluntary experience working as a mentor, recovery worker and counsellor over a span of 4 years for a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Essex. I also volunteered as a counselor at Survivors in Transition, a charity supporting adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, where I am now employed as a CSA support worker. I also continue to see clients in 1:1 and group therapy settings here. This experience has offered me a solid understanding of working with and through the client's childhood trauma.I take a keen interest in further training and hold the position of CPD co-ordinator on the committee for the Suffolk Association for Counselling, organising the training for the county.In the counseling room, I use my experience within the drug and alcohol treatment sector to help people gain understanding and insight into their addiction journeys. We might be able to find patterns, repetitious experiences and reactions to events, or uncover emotional responses to aid this.I also encourage the client to pay close attention to the relationships that they exist within, whether that be with their parents, caregivers, partners, myself or peers. I believe that we can find self-reflection in our relationship with another.

Lucy Ainger

In 2012 I finished an Access to Higher Education course in which the main components were Sociology and Child Psychology. I then studied Criminology for a year at degree level and was most drawn to cognitive and bio-psychology gaining a strong understanding of neuroscience and human behaviour.In 2016 I completed my BA Hons in Integrative Counselling. During my degree I held two clinical placements writing and delivering the Psycho-educational Therapeutic Art Programme at Iceni, where I worked with addiction, and at Survivors in Transition (SIT), where I also wrote the Therapeutic Art Programme also working individually with clients who were adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.On completion of my training I set up in private practice and continued to work for SIT. The majority of my work is focused on complex post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder which often occurs as a result of ritualistic abuse and torture. The co-morbidity element of addiction in this client group has led me to work with addiction and I have furthered my training by studying to become a Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery Facilitator as well as the NADA-GB practitioner for Auricular Acupuncture.I admire and respect anyone who has the bravery and courage to enter a residential rehabilitation facility in order to change their lives. I consider my role as supporting people to uncover and acknowledge the painful emotions and stuck thought patterns that have been holding them back so that they may become uplifted and empowered, discovering their own inner resources, strengths, and qualities to carry themselves forward.